1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to new compounds from a C.sub.21 -cycloaliphatic dicarboxylic acid. More particularly, this invention relates to diglycidyl esters of C.sub.21 -cycloaliphatic dicarboxylic acids and how to make them.
2. The Prior Art
It is known that glycidyl esters of dimer and trimer fatty acids have been used as acid scavengers in synthetic ester lubricants, as chemical intermediates for making polyepoxide films, in adhesives, and as components in moulding materials, among others.
Glycidyl esters of dimer and trimer fatty acids, have been prepared by first preparing the alkali metal salt of the acid in the presence of a solvent, dehydrating this salt and then reacting the salt with an epoxy halo-substituted compound having a 1,2-epoxy group, such as epichlorohydrin, in the presence of a suitable catalyst. Unfortunately, preparation of the intermediate salt of the dimer ester is slow and unduly difficult because of foaming phenomenon during water evolution. Moreover, caking and stirring complications due to the high viscosity of the soap gel, slow filtration rates and removing any unreacted soap gel from the reaction product further render this method altogether undesirable. Improvements in the prior art for making the diglycidyl ester of dimer acids have been made, such as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,075,999 to June et al. wherein an ester having a viscosity above 400 centipoise at 25.degree.C. was produced.
It has been found that a low viscosity, i.e., below 400 centipoise at 25.degree.C. diglycidyl ester of a C.sub.21 -cycloaliphatic dicarboxylic acid may be made. It is, therefore, the general object of this invention to provide new diglycidyl ester compounds.
Another object of this invention is to provide a diglycidyl ester of a C.sub.21 -cycloaliphatic dicarboxylic acid having a low viscosity.
A further object of this invention is to provide a process for making these ester compounds from C.sub.21 -cycloaliphatic dicarboxylic acid salts that are fluid at near anhydrous salt concentrations and that easily react.
Further objects, features and advantages of this invention will become evident from the foregoing detailed description of the invention.